A New Day Begins
by Eliaza
Summary: One-off. Based on CATS 2019. While pondering the events of the Ball and looking for a place to take a long nap, Mistoffelees comes across his adoptive sister Demeter in distress. The two have never got along so well, but perhaps this impromptu heart-to-heart is the start to a better understanding between them.


_In the AU Jellicle Tribe of CATS 2019, Demeter and Syllabub are the kittens of Munkustrap. Mistoffelees came to the Jellicles as an orphaned kit, and Munkustrap adopted him. Syllabub adores him, but Demeter is suspicious of him and his magic. _

_What a night,_ thought the exhausted tuxedo tom as he traversed the streets and alleyways, seeking out a good place to rest for the next hour or ten. Realising Victoria and the Jellicle Leader would doubtless wish to talk together and become better acquainted, he had determined to take himself off on his own for a while, avoid being a hindrance to their conversation. Besides, there was plenty for him to ponder over…not to mention he truly was just about dead on his feet after the very-eventful Ball.

He considered visiting his humans' home; no doubt the girls would be up already, outside playing in the garden, and he could have a nice nap in their bed undisturbed. In fact, they may even still be visiting their friends, who they'd stayed with last evening.

Misto gulped, that thought reminding him of the mischievous Thief Twins' unwelcome visit to his humans' house last night, and the absolute shambles they had made of the bedroom and dining room. On second thoughts, maybe he'd wait a few days before returning there…

Instead, Mistoffelees headed for the rubbish dump, and specially for the old abandoned auto. Quite a cozy spot for a nap, if someone else hadn't already claimed it…

Apparently someone had. As Misto approached, he heard sounds coming from inside the boot of the car. His ears pricked up in some little concern, as the door to the boot was shut. There was some sort of a wrench wedged in to keep the door from latching, but it was still a risky position—someone only had to accidentally knock the wrench in just the right way…The older cats had warned them countless times about the dangers of shutting oneself into the boot…

"Hello?" he called tentatively. "Er, can I come in? Are you decent?" At once he felt ridiculous, asking that question of a fellow cat. His humans always asked it before entering a room, and he'd sort of picked up the habit.

"G-go away," answered a tremulous-sounding voice. It sounded like Demeter, and Misto was tempted to take her at her word and hightail it out of there without saying anymore. She certainly never seemed eager to speak with him, and he didn't fancy a confrontation. Still, he ought to at least remind her about the door.

"I will go away," he agreed, "but just as a matter of interest, you ought to keep the door open if you mean to sleep in there. Remember what Munkustrap said. You might get stuck."

"I don't care."

"Maybe not, but your dad will care when he can't find you and then when he realizes where you are and has to get up the fire brigade to spring you out." No response. Only a loud sniff. Was she suffering from a bad case of the post-Ball blues? Perhaps he could do something, make her laugh…it worked with Syllabub most of the time… He hopped up to the car and opened the boot. "Either you leave it open, or I stay here and hold it open for you," he chuckled, "which would be incredibly awkward." His joking grin faded as he took a good look at the silver queen. She was scooted up into a corner of the boot, curled up into a ball as if trying to make herself as small as possible. Something told him this was more than just post-Ball blues. "Deme…?"

"Why…why've you got to be such a busybody?" Demeter mumbled, pressing her face into her knees.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be, I just wanted to be sure you're okay, that's all…"

"I thought we were all going to die," she whispered.

"What…what do you mean?"

"I—I saw—Macavity—I saw him carry Mum away, I don't know where to, she was just…gone. Then he came back, and—my dad—he tried to fight him, but…" She shuddered and didn't continue, but Misto could gather how the awful vision had ended.

So, she remembered what she had seen under the hallucinogenic influence of the catnip that had been spread around by Macavity's minions. Mistoffelees felt sick at the thought. For himself, he could recall a sense of fear and confusion, but not much else. If he had seen any horrors, he had forgotten. He wondered if everyone else remembered as vividly as Demeter.

"It wasn't real," he hastened to assure her. "Your dad is all right, we're all safe…" Hesitantly, he extended a paw towards her.

"Some of it was real," said Demeter grimly. "My mum _is_ gone." Her mother, after whom she was named, was missing, location unknown. Her humans had left on their holidays, taking her with them—this was nothing unusual. But it was well past their usual time for returning, and still their house stood empty. In fact, some time ago their belongings had all been removed, as if they meant to stay away permanently.

"But not forever," Misto said earnestly, "and she's all right, I know it, Deme. Your dad will scour the earth till he finds her, and I know she's doing her best to get back, too. It's just—cars and trains and things—they complicate matters."

"How can you know? Anything might have happened. Her humans may have got into an accident and left her alone. She may have been killed…"

"You don't really believe that, do you?"

"I guess not," she sighed, "only…" She leaned her head on Misto's shoulder and burst into tears. "I miss her so much. And—and everyone else—seems to have forgotten her!"

"I haven't," Misto contradicted, "and neither has Munkustrap. And I bet you no one else has either. They just miss her too, and don't know how to talk about it. How could any of us forget her, when we've got you to remind us of her?"

"Me?" Demeter looked up, frowning skeptically through her tears. "Don't be daft. Sylla's the one who looks like her, not me."

"Maybe, but you're like her in other ways."

"How?" she challenged.

"Well…your bravery, for one thing. How many kits your age are well on their way to being Tribe Protectors already? And you've got…what's the word…spunk? Determination? Your mum will be proud when she sees you."

Demeter shook her head. "She'd never have…have treated another cat the way I treated Grizabella.

"You mean the way we ALL treated her." He sighed. "We just didn't understand."

"Victoria did."

He blushed. "Yes…she did…"

Apart from a slight smirk, Demeter kindly pretended not to notice. "I hope now we all do. Misto… I didn't thank you yet for… Well, for saving Old Deuteronomy. And all of us, really. What would we do if anything happened to her?"

"Eh…" Misto shuffled his paws, embarrassed. "It was nothing."

"Fiddlesticks. Just say you're welcome and have done with it."

"Er, you're welcome." An awkward silence stretched between them. "Ah…are you going to be all right?"

"Yeah. Go on and find a sleeping-spot, I know you need to. I'll sleep with the boot open, too," she added.

"Right…" He gave her paw an awkward sort of pat. "See you, then…"

"Misto?"

"Yes?"

"I…I don't think your magic is the bad kind of magic. I think it's the good sort. And…and so are you. I wouldn't mind—that is, it wouldn't bother me—to be your friend."

"Well…" He gulped. Was this her way of finally accepting him as her brother, as one of the family? "Well, I'm–I'm glad."


End file.
